This summer, a new favorite singer-songwriter has entered the pop star villa. After releasing the teaser songs “Sue me,” “Bowling alley” and “Wet hair,” which all instantly rose to popularity, Audrey Hobert has emerged as the funniest and most charming presence on the indie-pop girl scene. She released her full debut album “Who’s the Clown?” on Aug. 15. 

Hobert is not new to songwriting. While this is her first solo album, she co-wrote “The Secret of Us” with childhood best friend Gracie Abrams and directed various music videos for songs on the album. On the international hit song “That’s So True,” Hobert provided background vocals, and she has performed the song live with Abrams more than once. 

 After many viral videos of the pair and fans clamoring for Hobert to release her own music, it was the perfect cultural moment for her to emerge as a solo artist. 

Despite the question in the title of the album, it is crystal clear that Hobert herself is the clown. She takes one for the team, acting out this clown caricature and plainly stating the desires we have been socially conditioned to hold back, so the rest of us do not have to be as vulnerable. Incredibly self-aware and ironic, Hobert explores familiar themes, such as vulnerability, insecurity, self-discovery, loneliness and more in her debut album. 

“Who’s the Clown?” is a vulnerable, unconventional, witty, whimsical and goofy concoction with an endearing level of lyrical specificity. Hobert blurts out the secret thoughts, hidden feelings and often unwanted, unglamorous reality that adolescents and 20-somethings face but would never dare speak about, out of fear that they are alone in it. 

Instead of shying away from her inherent humanness and pretending to be a perfect pop star princess, Hobert gives voice to the suppressed desires, silly overthinking and contradictory thoughts we all share. For example, in “Don’t go back to his ass,” Hobert urges a friend not to get back together with a toxic old fling, while “Sue me” is all about admitting to the human desire to be wanted and sleeping with an ex to feel better.  

In a social media-focused world where everything must be perfectly curated to be worthwhile, Hobert’s unique stream-of-consciousness, unpolished lyrics paired with a fun upbeat melody is a breath of fresh air, perfect in its own way. Her clownery feels down-to-earth and relatable. Hobert makes the most seemingly mundane moments, like watching a movie with your parents on a Friday night, seem like they are actually part of a normal life, contrary to what social media algorithms tell us. 

“Who’s the Clown?” captures the essence of all the complicated and conflicting feelings that can accompany girlish adolescence to the backdrop of playful beat with an unwavering sanguinity. In this respect, the song “Sex and the city” stands out as unconventional compared to the rest of the tracks. With subtle acoustic guitar and a slower beat, Hobert vulnerably reveals her insecurities about her appearance and the deep-rooted, patriarchally instilled craving for male validation. Instead of sweeping these uncomfortable feelings under the rug, she confronts and shares them openly, fully conscious of how irrational they are. 

Just as sexiness and glamor are not a concern in the lyrical composition, neither is it in the “Sue me,” “Bowling alley,” “Wet hair” and “Thirst trap” music videos Hobert has released on her YouTube channel. These fun-loving videos have a nostalgic vibe, reminiscent of footage filmed on a 2000s camcorder or scenes from an old Disney Channel show. Each one features Hobert joyfully jumping around and ecstatically dancing as if no one’s watching, perfectly mirroring the carefree emotional atmosphere conveyed in the lyrics. 

While “Sue me” gained widespread attention upon its release, thanks to its great lip-sync quality and the viral TikTok dance trend it sparked, the rest of the album has not achieved the same reception. Perhaps this stems from the way the album is arranged. Despite its attention-grabbing title, the first track, “I like to touch people,” is the least memorable and streamed song. Some people might have felt discouraged from continuing streaming after a disappointing firsthand impression. However, listeners should stick with it because the rest of the tracks make for a very promising debut album.  

“Who’s the Clown?” is a uniquely raw and perfect mess of an album. Hobert offers something distinctly different from other pop stars on the stage: a genuine coolness that can only come from being unapologetically yourself, even when it’s messy, confusing and sometimes embarrassing. This debut was truly impressive, and I have a hunch Hobert’s career will skyrocket just like her bestie Gracie Abrams’ did.